Description

Restored 16th century villa, a former monastery, set in a secluded but non-isolated position just 10 km from Florence. Total floor area of 1,189 sq.m includes 11 bedrooms and 8 bathrooms. Large, impressive hall with frescoes, historic courtyard and 9 hectares of land with olive grove.

Geographic position

Just 10 km from the centre of Florence, this former monastery has been dominating the valley below for over four centuries. The first historical traces of this estate can be found in land registry sources dating back to 1534, in which there is talk of a ‘manor house and another for the workers, along with lands with vineyards, olive groves and woods’.In 1609, the property was donated to Dominican Monks, who transformed the buildings into a larger, richer dwelling.In the early 19th century, during French domination, the monastery was taken from the Dominicans and it then went back to being a private residence.

The property, which is of great historical value, consists of the ancient monastery, built on three floors with a total floor area of 1189 gross sqm, as well as a chapel of 25 sqm, a crypt of 27 sqm, 135 sqm of cellars, 132 sqm of attics and an open terrace of 62 sqm. The building is U-shaped and, with a loggia on the ground floor and a covered terrace on the first floor, it surrounds the cloister, in which there is a beautiful Italian-style garden. The property is complemented by 9 hectares of land.

We are in Tuscany, just 10km from Florence and, at the same time, in a central position with respect to some of the most important towns in the region and the sea, which can all be reached in just over an hour by car: Siena (93 km), Livorno (97 km), Viareggio and the Tyrrhenian coast (100 km) and Arezzo (102 km).The airport of Florence is just 9 km away and that of Pisa is 87 km away. The A1 motorway can be reached in 10 minutes by car (13 km).

Description of buildingsThe villa is spread over three levels, following the gentle slope of the hill.In the basement, there is a large kitchen, a den, several utility rooms and two bathrooms.The ground floor is used entirely as a living area, with a kitchen, a dining room and a large reception room, 2 bedrooms, 3 studies, a living room, a cloakroom, a lounge, a music room, a billiard room, a library, a chapel and two bathrooms. Also on this floor, there is a separate apartment with a kitchen/living-room, 3 bedrooms and a bathroom.

A portico runs along the whole inner side of the building, surrounding the cloister with the Italian-style garden.On the first floor, there is a kitchen, a living room, three bedrooms and a bathroom, an area used completely as the living quarters for the custodians, with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, several attic rooms and a dovecote.On the entire inner side of the monastery, there is a covered terrace, corresponding to the porch below.The property also includes a crypt.

Condition and finishes

The property is of great historical value and retains its charm thanks to the typical, traditional architecture and preservation of the original building materials used.Other features of considerable importance are the chapel, with its precious eighteenth-century decor, the stone fireplace in the large living room and the monastic structure of the ground floor with its bread-baking oven and large sandstone washing-tubs, which are still perfectly preserved.

External areasIn addition to the beautiful cloister with an Italian-style garden, the property is complemented by 9 hectares of woodland and olive groves.

Use and potential usesThanks to its location, just 10 km from the centre of Florence, the property is private but not isolated and is an excellent solution both for those looking for a private villa as a main residence or for anyone wishing to create a high-level, high-quality tourist accommodation business.